Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 6, 1995 TAG: 9504120087
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The 17-year-old student brought an unloaded pistol to school on March 20, hiding it in his car. He never brought it into the high school.
Assistant principals at the school became aware of the gun's presence on school grounds and asked the student to open his car. They found the pistol in the glove compartment, but no ammunition in or around the vehicle.
The boy's attorney, Pete Beller of Christiansburg, said he brought the gun to school to protect himself from another student who was harassing him.
Details of the interactions between the two students were discussed behind closed doors Wednesday night. School Board members would not talk about the case.
After the March 20 incident, the student was immediately suspended from school for 10 days until the School Board could hear his case. The board heard part of the case in a Tuesday night executive session and agreed to continue the student's suspension until the case could be heard again Wednesday night. In a brief public session, it voted unanimously not to let him return to school this year.
There also are criminal charges pending against the student; it is a felony to bring a gun onto school grounds, according to Helen Spence, a lawyer working with Beller.
Principal Alfred Smith said last month that this is the first time a student has brought a real gun onto school grounds.
"The closest thing we have come to before is [carbon dioxide] cartridge pellet guns," he said.
Under a bill passed by this year's General Assembly, any student found with a gun on school grounds is to be expelled for one year. However, that bill will not take effect until July, leaving the School Board with the final say on the boy's fate.
This is the first time a student has brought a real gun to any school in Montgomery County. Elsewhere in the New River Valley, three students in the past three years have been expelled for bringing guns to school - one in Floyd County and two in Giles County.
During the past year, Roanoke has expelled 10 students for bringing dangerous weapons to school, including knives.
The criminal charges against the student are scheduled for court today.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***